For those students who are academically inclined, it is a good idea to accelerate one or more subject areas, if your school allows it. Often, acceleration is not allowed within some schools which offer the IB Diploma Program. There is more flexibility in school systems offering the AP Program. Acceleration can be done by taking summer courses locally through the board of education or through your school’s summer program, if one is available. For example:
- Taking Science 10 during the summer between grades 9 and 10, will mean you can take biology, chemistry or physics in grade 10. This, in turn, will allow you to take AP courses in grade 11 and be more ready to challenge the SAT Subject Test in the science in which you are accelerated, by the end of grade 11.
- Students may also want to take chemistry 11, physics 11 or biology 11 during the summer between grades 10 and 11 to open up their schedule for a more advanced science in grade 11.
- In the same way, students can take the next level math/pre-calculus course in the summer between 9/10 or 10/11 or even both, in order to open up their schedule to take AP Calculus in grade 12. Many business or engineering programs require or prefer calculus (not pre-calculus) to have been taken in grade 12 for university admission.
- Some students take Planning 10 or Social Studies 11 as a summer course in the summer before or after grade 10 in order to open up their schedule for more electives in the following year.
- Occasionally students complete the highest level math or science course their school offers by the end of grade 11 and then choose to take one math or science course at a local university or college while they are in grade 12.
Regardless of why you choose to be accelerated, it is certainly one way to ensure you do well in your targeted SAT Subject Test/s, shows that you have passion in a particular subject area, and it certainly helps to set you apart from the majority of other applicants to university.